Here comes Andrew Hastie!

Is this the calm before a leadership storm? Hastie calls it quits on Sussan Ley's Shadow Cabinet.

Andrew Hastie has made a move that will go down in the history books of the Liberal Party of Australia.

In the cutthroat arena of Australian politics, where ambition often masquerades as principle, Andrew Hastie’s resignation from the Coalition Shadow Cabinet stands out as a rare act of authenticity. In a candid email to his constituents this week, the MP from Western Australia detailed his early-morning call to Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, stepping down from the Shadow Home Affairs role because he could no longer stomach the gag order on immigration – a portfolio cornerstone he was barred from shaping or even discussing.

Hastie’s dilemma is painfully clear. Ley’s letter demanded Shadow Cabinet solidarity, binding him to party lines without a seat at the policy table.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

Here I was, about to sign off for Friday evening, when Andrew Hastie came out with the mother of all jump scares. He has quit Shadow Cabinet – thrown shade at Sussan Ley’s migration position – and joined the serious conservative talented amassing on the backbench. The Moderates will spend the weekend freaking out about the imminent threat of a leadership challenge.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Here comes Andrew Hastie!

MICHAEL DE PERCY | "Andrew Hastie has made a move that will go down in the history books of the Liberal Party of Australia."https://t.co/tYvOQsc9OZ

— The Spectator Australia (@SpectatorOz) October 3, 2025

An open letter to President Trump

America once saved Australia. I am asking you to please rescue Australia once more.

Dear President Trump,

I write to you as an Australian citizen deeply concerned about the dangerous direction of our government under our leftist Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.

Labor’s decision to formally recognise Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly is not only a betrayal of our ally, Israel, but a reckless capitulation that emboldens terrorists like Hamas.

In the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes wrote:

Trump is playing with Albanese’s fragile mind, and he knows it: not on the list one day, booked in for an October Oval Office dressing down – er, visit – the next. What can they talk about? In the form of an open letter to the President, Michael de Percy has a few suggestions, while warning him about our Janus of a PM.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, An open letter to President Trump.

Michael de Percy has asked Donald Trump to save Australia from Albanese's government.

That might be tricky, because Albanese doesn't appear to have an invitation ... again.https://t.co/j3vpvlTSzO

— The Spectator Australia (@SpectatorOz) September 23, 2025

CPAC Australia 2025: A conservative awakening

Eliza and I with Senator Hanson in front of the One Nation ‘Please Explain’ pinball machine

In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah, CPAC Australia was held in Brisbane over the weekend of 20-21 September.

From standing ovations to fiery speeches, it was a gathering that reaffirmed the conservative movement’s pulse in Australia. But amid the stellar lineup of speakers, one figure stood out as the undeniable highlight: Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Her presence not only electrified the room but also signalled her potential as a future Prime Minister – a bold, unifying force for a nation weary of Woke policies and economic folly.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

CPAC went off without a hitch over the weekend, with the stand-out crowd winners being Jacinta Price and Pauline Hanson – the latter of which announced the beloved Please Explain! cartoon series will be released as a feature length movie on Australia Day.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, CPAC Australia 2025: A conservative awakening.